Stephanie Earp and the Ex-Boyfriends

Earp's last effort, '99s Hey Action EP, was an engaging disc that largely kept itself confined to the limitations of the college rock genre. Chasing Down Dignity marks a nice progression: more assured in almost every way with quite a leap in production values. The band stretches out, importing some horns for a ska take ("Back to School") and taking a stab at a bit of honky-tonk on "Accidents Will Happen." Earp's voice was made for party rock numbers; it might sound a tad incongruous to hear her tackle something unbelievably dark or weighty. Still, I preferred the songs that hinted at a bit of strife and had something to say about relationship politics, such as "Silvertown," "Cryptic" and "Sex," which has a wonderful chorus the likes of which I've never quite heard before.